Bamboo

The bamboo belongs to the grass family. It is one of the fastest growing plants in the world- some growing up to 3 feet in a day. It has a higher compressive strength that wood, brick or concrete and also has a specific tensile strenght that rivals steel.

Whilst it is most popular as a food source for giant pandas and in Asian cusine, bamboo is also a popular construction material: scaffolding, buildings and bridges. These structures can be found in many South East Asian cultures. In addition, bamboo is being explored in making bicycle frames. Due its abundance, it can be easily replaceable when worn out. A challenge with using bamboo is that it cracks longitudinally when dried out as seen in the sample available. To combat the cracking and increase the longevity of bamboo, its surface could be treated using resin or wax.